McGrath’s waterside facilities help secure major London contract

McGrath Press Release

McGrath has been appointed as the contractor to remove waste from the central section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is being built after years of planning to tackle the problem of overflows from the capital’s Victorian sewerage network. Key to the appointment was McGrath’s ability to transport the wastes by water, made possible by their two wharfs at their Barking Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).

Clearly the most effective and sustainable way to remove bulk materials to/from the site is the river itself. However, until the infrastructure is in place to crane load waste into barges the waste will be collected in skips, the first of which McGrath delivered in October this year. In due course McGrath’s conveniently located wharfs at Barking Creek will accept the waterborne vessels discharging wastes generated by the landmark civil engineering scheme. Each shipload will replace an average of up to 140 lorry journeys, not only helping to minimise the project’s carbon footprint but also helping to reduce the congestion on London’s roads.

McGrath will supply the necessary certified crane lifting skips for each waste stream, each one strategically placed around the site to be easily crane lifted via the gantry onto the barge when full. Lockable crane certified skips will also be provided for municipal waste. Oil drums and IBC spill containment pallets will be recycled accordingly after being sanitised of oil residue.

“McGrath is very pleased to be a part of such a huge project for the capital, upgrading London’s sewerage system to cope with the demands of the city well into the 22nd century,” says Business Director, Tara Donaghy, “The work is urgently needed to protect the Thames from overflows of untreated sewage and to meet European environmental standards.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel will run for more than 15 miles from Acton in West London to Abbey Mills in the east, while the tunnel itself will be 7.2 metres in diameter.

McGrath will be working alongside prestigious construction groups including BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty Group in a joint venture for the west section, while Vinci Construction Grands Projects, Costain and Laing O’Rourke Construction are among the groups involved in the central and east sections. It is expected to be completed in 2023.